As the school safety and security landscape continues to evolve, new technologies and procedures are emerging to better secure campuses, including more robust access control systems.
The Partner Alliance for Safe Schools, also known as PASS, has become known for the PASS School Safety & Security Guidelines, a comprehensive document that offers tips for keeping students and staff safe from harm.
The latest guide from PASS, released last year, features nearly 200 best practices for everything from securing parking lots to choosing surveillance equipment.
Tiered access control is one of the major security topics covered in the PASS guidelines.
According to PASS, “controlling access to school buildings is fundamental to securing the school environment.” It has several recommendations on how to best utilize tiered access control solutions for maximum safety. The higher the tier, the stronger the protection level.
The access control levels are:
Tier 1: “All exterior doors should be electronically monitored for both door position and latch position.”
Tier 2: “Exterior doors that are considered primary entrances should have electronic access control, both to limit the distribution of keys and to enhance the school’s ability to control who can gain access.”
Tier 3: PASS suggests using an “access control system equipped with remote door release capability.”
Tier 4: Use doors “equipped with electronic locking systems that can be initiated both remotely from a central location or by a teacher in the classroom and tied into the school security system.”
Sonitrol Great Lakes, which has been protecting schools for more than 50 years, has the design and installation experience required to provide tiered access control systems. Contact us to learn more about our capabilities.